The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Renal artery stenosis (RAS), most commonly caused by atherosclerosis, has an incidence of almost 7% in adults older than 65 years of age. Patients with atherosclerotic RAS or (ARVD) often develop hypertension or renovascular hypertension, which significantly increases the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and progression to end stage renal disease. Furthermore, a decrease in renal function per se is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
In treating atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS), the immediate therapeutic goal is to restore patency to the renal artery. Often, percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) is the recommended course of treatment. However, the successful restoration of renal artery patency does not necessarily translate into restoration of tissue perfusion. Rarefaction of renal microvasculature and reperfusion injury can cause reduced renal perfusion and long-term renal insufficiency. Methods that reduce these effects will improve the long-term prognosis for patients undergoing PTRA therapy and patients with ARVD.